Raindog, AKA RD Armstrong began his most recent
incarnation as a poet in the early 90s. He has 15 books and has been
published in about a 100 poetry magazines, including most recently, the
Louisiana Review; Flash!Point #5; The Bukowski Review #1 & 2; and
Unwound Magazine. He has also been published in several anthologies
including,An Eye For An Eye And The World Goes Blind – Poets
on 9-11; Drinking With Bukowski; Incidental Buildings & Accidental
Beauty; and Raising the Roof.

His work has appeared online at many different websites including SPAM;
Poetz; Poetry Super Highway; and NYCityLit. His last book, RoadKill
(2nd printing) was published by 12 Gauge Press. Raindog also publishes
a broad number of poets through his Lummox Press, which, for eleven
years, offered the Lummox Journal (now available online); the Little
Red Book series (with 51 titles so far.) He has a website which
contains information about many of the Red Books, his own work, and his
many other interests including Charles Bukowski.
www.lummoxpress.com

Second Skin

When we first made love
(It wasn’t screwing – that came later)
I was holding my breath
I was afraid to exhale
Afraid I would disturb the
Moment and you would
Blow away
I had what you wanted and
You had what I needed
No one had touched
Me the way you did
In a long time
You pulled me to you
Your lips grazing my
Shoulder and gasped
As I kissed the nape of your neck

Later I watched you dress
Wearing my scent like
A second skin

Life Before the Ice Age
I almost fell in love
With her as I was leaving
The light of early morning
Flooded across her bed
And I knew she was naked
Under the covers
Everything was in slow
Motion and crackling with
Static electricity as I
Took her hand to say goodbye
A shudder moved across me
Like a shockwave
I kissed her hand
Palm-up
And felt her fingers
Quiver on my cheek almost
Imperceptibly
Even her dog knew
Something was up

As I headed for the front door
I knew I had to keep walking
To my car and get in and drive away
Because if I didn’t
I would be smitten
There could be no turning back
This time

All the Romantic Places in the World
Being part of a secret
Is a guilty pleasure
That in the beginning
Is deliciously sweet
And in the end
Is as bitter a pill to swallow
As was ever prescribed
If you’re good
You get to come back
If you’re not good enough
It’s just one of those things
But after the blush
Wears off
After you’ve gotten
A few affairs under your belt
You begin to long for
What you cannot have
And when you realize
That you cannot have what
Normal lovers have
A sadness overtakes you
Which almost certainly
Guarantees that you will
Always be in the shadows
Giving solace and
Receiving it in kind
Behind closed doors
Whilst true lovers
Laugh and kiss and
Touch each other in all
The romantic places
In the world